We're not so different
by ForeveristCloisJenry
Summary: Jo finds out the truth about Sean's death and needs some comfort.


_A little one-shot I've wanted to write in a long time, I just never worked on it until recently, since my muse seems to be back on tracks. _

_It's set like a year after the pilot so that would make it mid-season in season 2. I'll say more regarding the headcanon of this story in my author's note at the end. Thanks to the few people who are still interested in Forever stories and to anyone who feels the need to hate, just don't read and get lost, once again! _

_The title and the story on its own is a reference to the scene at the end of The Wolves of Deep Brooklyn. _

* * *

It has been a long and rough week for Jo. Also, kind of a bittersweet one. They have been working on her late husband's case. Some files from the autopsy came back to them and since Henry had checked them out, he had deduced something was wrong with them. He had told Jo, her husband seemed in perfect health, considering the radio of the lungs and heart he was seeing on the autopsies reports. So technically, he couldn't have died of a heart attack. But he needed only one way to find out and this was to exhume Sean's body from his grave.

He knew this case would be tough for Jo, no matter the result. She gave him the authorization, and the body was shortly soon in the morgue. Before he started on his autopsy Henry strictly forbade Jo to walk in. She kept repeating him it was her husband and she had the right to assist and he was slamming back at her, telling her Sean's body wasn't what she last saw and as long as he probably wasn't all bones yet, he was in a serious advanced decomposition state and he would soon return to his skeletal form. They argued for long minutes before she eventually gave in and waited for his results in the hall.

She waited for a while outside. She kept pacing back and forth. She was sitting and walking again. She knew it was not like Henry to take so much before figuring out what killed whom. So, she knew… She knew already what he was going to tell her, she just couldn't wrap her mind around it.

When he slowly exited the morgue with Lucas by his side, both of them unable to look at her in the eyes and trying to think about how to tell her, she knew and she felt weak in the knees… Henry didn't have to say any word, she read his eyes and she saw the answer lies in them.

She couldn't cry because she has done a lot of that when she found out about Sean's death but she was unable to say anything and just whispered they needed to work on that case. Henry just pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed.

The case was hard, it drained her out and everybody was trying to remove her from it, telling her they would talk to her once everything would be solved but she just refused.

They went to Washington to investigate because this is where everything happened.

They stayed at the hotel where Sean has been found dead and they interrogated the whole staff working there. Jo went there with Henry, Lucas and Mike. She at first wanted to do the trip on her own but Reece never allowed her such foolishness so she stuck with all three men for a couple of days.

Henry eventually figured who was the one who murdered her husband. Some angry man who couldn't handle the fact his brother was sitting in jail because he had raped a couple of young girls.

And apparently, Jo was the one who arrested the brother in question so attacking Sean was revenge and one of these days he was planning to get back at her. It has been Henry's biggest fear, all along, the case. Of course, Sean was a lawyer, his wife a cop, anybody could have been pissed at them and this is how they found out Jo always been in danger without even being aware of it.

After that long case and Jo finally knowing the truth about what happened to Sean, she decided not to put him back in the grave and asked Henry if he could incinerate her husband's ashes and give them to her so she would throw them herself.

He gladly accepted and gave her the urn when she asked him to meet her near the East River. Henry found this pretty much ironical because this is exactly where Abigail's ashes were resting. So somehow, both of them were releasing the one they used to love into Henry's rebirth point.

She was shaking all the time she tried to open the urn to throw the ashes, so Henry just gently stepped behind her and helped her out and grabbing both of her wrists to hold them firmly as they threw Sean's ashes together.

One tear rolled down her cheek but she seemed relieved. Relieved because she knew what happened, relieved because she didn't have to feel guilty anymore… Guilty because she had fallen for Henry while still in the process of her grief. She turned around and buried her head in Henry's chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and leaned his chin on top of her head. His strong arms were protecting her like her place was sitting right where she was.

Their tender embrace was sweet and had nothing to do with the one they shared the past year in Jo's stairs, for pretty much the same reason.

As Henry was hugging her fragile body against him, he felt something, a presence, someone watching them. He slowly raised his eyes to notice… Sean's figure wrapped in some halo light, standing next to him and smiling at him.

He frowned but Sean put a finger above his own lips. He moved to stand behind Jo and dropped a kiss on her head.

\- She can't see me or hear me! But you can and you know perfectly why, Henry!

He nodded and smiled. He couldn't speak or Jo would think he was completely crazy.

\- She couldn't have found someone better than you, Henry! Take good care of her, she feels safe and at home with you. She felt a bit guilty to feel what she feels for you now she knows the truth about my death, she won't.

Obviously, Henry had all of his doubts about his big secret and he felt sorry to make a promise he wasn't sure to keep since she didn't know that part of him. Sean kept smiling.

\- Don't worry about it! She will handle it! She's always been very open-minded, and she understands the small things in life. You're going to be fine, both of you!

This warmed Henry's heart. He would take care of that woman for as long as she was alive and for as long as they could… Stay together.

And with a blink of an eye, Sean was gone. Jo felt a chill running down her spine and just held on tighter to Henry.

Henry then seemed to consider something. Jo has been even more fragile than she was since he had met her. He wasn't going to let her mourn on her own tonight. She needed support. And with the little encounter he just had with Sean, he knew it was now his role to take care of her.

He gently pushed her back and gave a squeeze to her hands

\- I know you're probably going to say you're fine but I don't intend to leave you tonight. How about you come and spend the night at the shop?

She opened her mouth but quickly closed it, not knowing what to say. Of course, she just wanted to be alone and cried in her corner, she didn't want him to see her that weak.

\- Huh… Henry, I don't… I don't know… Maybe I should just…

Henry shook his head

\- I wasn't really giving you any other options there!

She looked at him straight in the eyes and she saw his empathy, his softness that made her fall for him. She just nodded and let him drag her away to the lower East-side.

Once they reached the shop, Henry explained the situation to Abe who gave her a very needed hug.

They settled for dinner and afterward, Jo went to take a shower and Henry advised Jo to pick anything that would suit her to sleep in.

So, she just decided to pick one of his NYPD's outfit from his indecent exposure. She figured the pants were really too loose for her small bottom so she just kept the jacket to work as a nightdress and stole one his boxers because the jacket wasn't that long to cover her whole butt.

She walked back into the living room to join the two men and Henry's jaw dropped open when he saw her walked with an outfit he has been wearing way too much. His eyes couldn't focus anywhere else than her long legs. She shyly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

\- Erm… I hope you don't mind that I borrowed one of your boxers... I promise I will wash it all once I'm back in my place but you know I didn't know what else to take and the pants that come with the jacket are loose for me.

Henry babbled God knew what, his cheeks warming up. Abe tried not to laugh at his father still being turned on by a young woman after 200 years of life on Earth.

\- Oh please, by all means, don't feel sorry! Those are nothing but fabrics so do not worry about it.

Her cheeks were sharing pretty much the same shade as Henry's. Before he was doing something he could be regretting, he apologized.

\- Well… I'm just going to make some tea so we can talk or just sit all three of us together.

Abe refrained the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn't going to be third wheeling between these two. Not tonight!

But he enjoyed being alone with Jo for a couple of minutes because he needed to talk to her.

Jo took a seat on the couch and Abe joined her. He stared at her and could tell she was carrying as much weight of the world on her shoulders as his father was.

\- You must know how lonely Henry is, right?

She nodded. Couldn't blame him; they were exactly the same.

\- Well… You need to know that he would never let anything happen to you and that includes, letting you mourn in your corner on your own.

She knew that. She was devoted to him but Henry was proving how much he was to her too.

\- I know! If you knew the number of times, he tried to take a bullet for me during our cases… I know, for whatever reason he has a need to protect me… I can handle myself because I'm the one with the gun but I do appreciate that side of him.

Abe could see that sparkle in Jo's eyes. The same one he has been witnessing with his father for a year every time he was mentioning her. All grief aside now, they knew what happened to their late spouses so they could and would move on together.

Henry came back with cups of tea. Abe stood up.

\- Where are you going? – Henry asked in an accusing tone

Abe shrugged

\- It's getting late! I'm old and I need to rest, so I'll see you two around in the morning. Good night!

Henry didn't even have time to argue that Abe quickly left the room. He didn't remember seeing him walking out that fast since the 1970s.

He obviously had something in mind, and that something was to leave him alone with Jo. He slowly turned his head to look at the young detective who was just tilting her head to the side, being all cute in his own outfit. He inhaled and joined her on the couch. He put the tray on the coffee table and handed Jo her cup.

\- I didn't put any sugar on it. I know you like dark coffees but I wasn't sure about teas so I didn't touch it.

She smiled

\- Thank you! That'll be fine, don't worry.

She took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes by the warm feeling it provided her. Henry was unable to drink at his own because he was way too captivated by her beauty but she was surrounded by some negative energy. He couldn't blame her but she needed to relax some bits.

\- You are tensed!

By the sound of his voice, she knew it wasn't a question but an affirmation. She raised her eyes toward his and still seemed as surprised that he was able to read her like that.

He slowly removed the cup from her hands and smiled

\- Would you terribly mind if I give you a massage? It will help your muscles to relax.

This came out of nowhere but she had nothing better to do and it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot. She blushed just at the thoughts of his hands travelling on her but she took on his offer.

Henry left the room for a few minutes to come back with some lotion.

\- It's a eucalyptus lotion. It's usually being used in physical therapy.

He sat back next to her and made sure he was behind her back. He then looked at his own jacket. He gulped. He hoped that caught in the moment he wouldn't do anything wrong to hurt her feelings, she didn't need this tonight.

\- Jo… I… sorry it might sound bold and rude from me but I need to have access to your neck and shoulders so if you could just…

Jo bit on her lips to refrain from her laughter.

\- You want me to remove the jacket?

\- Yes! – his eyes grew wide because he realized he had spoken what his mind was thinking – I mean, no… You don't need to remove it all… Just, to lower it enough for me to rub the lotion…

She nodded and did as he instructed. Henry licked his lips in anticipation and tried not to look that aroused when her naked shoulders and her neck were being exposed to him. Along with a bit of her naked back.

He swallowed. This would probably be harder than he thought, literally.

For a couple of minutes, he rubbed the lotion on her, without any of them saying anything. Jo knew Henry didn't like uncomfortable silences but tonight he was respecting her need to keep quiet.

She eventually decided to talk

\- Thank you, Henry! For finding out the truth about Sean. Thank you for your support and for helping me out in solving that case. Nobody could have done it.

Henry didn't say a word and just smiled as they were enjoying each other's proximity. Romantic sparkles were filling up the room. Henry's hands working his way from her neck to her shoulders was very distracting.

That's when she decided to look at the mirror in front of them and what she saw was something she never really paid attention to before. She noticed the attraction and the pain they were sharing. She could see this in her eyes as much as his.

Aside from being lonely and that big secret he never had a chance to tell her about, there was something else that was eating him out and it has been for a year now.

Maybe it had something to do with the one he had loved just like she loved Sean.

She couldn't hold it anymore. She needed to know.

\- Henry! What exactly happened to Abigail?

His hands suddenly stopped in her neck and he gulped. Looking at their reflection, Jo saw him looking away, full of sadness. Sean's spirit had told him Jo would handle everything he would tell her later so he took a guess… She would probably be able to hear that part of the story but he didn't want to rub in it.

He sighed and without giving away all the details, he replied

\- Well… She… She died a while ago… She has been murdered!

This caused Jo to quickly turned around. She couldn't believe her ears. All this time he knew about his wife being dead and he pretended like he wasn't hurt. She pursed her lips in a fine line. He didn't deserve to suffer like that.

\- Oh, my God! That's terrible! Henry, I'm so sorry!

She didn't give him a chance to reply, she just cupped his face and whispered

\- We both have lost someone the same way! We're both been alone for too long with our pain!

Henry lowered his eyes to meet her gaze and he saw it, he realized it, he knew it, he knew things were indeed going to be fine between them.

\- As you once said… You and I, we're not so different!

Her heart skipped a beat. Remembering that day when she told him, they were pretty alike because they both have killed someone and they were screwed up. She just had no idea how many similarities they still had in common.

Her eyes drifted to his lips and she moved closer to him

\- No, we're not! – she replied in a voice full of love but broken

Their faces were close to the other, closer than they've ever been. Maybe the time wasn't right, but when would it be? The loves of their lives were gone now and they knew it. They knew they would never see them again and none of them could have stopped what happened when they started falling for each other… Yes, a part of them always felt guilty because they didn't have a proper idea of what happened exactly but now they did and that guilt would just only naturally go away. They both knew Sean and Abigail would always live inside of them, no matter the odds but they needed to move on now and obviously, they would move on together. Henry knew Jo didn't have much time as him and if there was a chance for them, then it was about time to take it.

His thumb slowly caressed her lips and it gave them a sweet but chaste kiss. No time to rush this relationship and especially not tonight.

Jo just smiled at him and moved to sit between his legs and snuggled against him. Henry kissed her forehead, his fingers entwining with hers.

They were not different and they would move on together, for a time that hopefully would last forever.

* * *

**Author's note**:_ my headcanon and probably the show's headcanon as well, Sean obviously didn't die of a heart attack, he was like what 35-40? His wife was a cop, he was a lawyer so obviously somebody was pissed toward one of them. Also, I think Matt Miller confirmed he didn't die of a heart attack and this would have been explored in s2... Jo would surely be left to pick up to pieces but yeah. _  
_This would bring Jo and Henry closer for sure. _

_If Sean had a little ghost appearance in the middle of the day, is because you probably guessed, Henry's immortal and somehow it could make sense of him seeing spirits because he just doesn't die permanently and at least it makes him feels better about Jo's reaction when he tells her the truth lol. I didn't plan to write this but I thought about it a few days ago and it never left my mind so I decided to include a little extra. _

_Jo released Sean's ashes to the exact same spot where Henry released Abigail's._

_Ps: I once wrote a little one-shot very similar to this after Jo found out Sean has been murdered and the same thing; Henry mentioned Abigail died etc... but the end was different and anyway I wanted to give it a shot with another POV. _


End file.
